Bedfordshire Open Door

25/02/2026

23/02/2026

It’s taken a few weeks to come back to earth again after holding our very first charity ball, but we are delighted to announce that, thanks to the generosity and kindness of everyone who attended our 30th Anniversary celebration event on 6 February, we raised an incredible £6,955.00. So tantalisingly close to 7K – if only we had sold 45 more raffle tickets!

Every pound will go directly towards supporting young people across Bedfordshire with free, confidential counselling – and this total will make a real difference.

After 30 years of successfully funding our service through contracts and grant funding, this ball marked our debut onto the local community fundraising stage, reaching out to our local community and asking for their help to fund our service. And we hope those who attended will go away and talk to their networks about our charity and the work we do, and the ripple effect will continue to be felt over the coming year.

We certainly learned a lot by organising this event – and whilst we can’t promise an event of this scale every year, we are committed to bringing friends and supporters together for community events on a regular basis.

To everyone who joined us on the night, entertained us, fed us, bid in the auctions, donated a prize, bought raffle tickets, danced, laughed, and filled the room with genuine warmth and community – thank you. Your support will help us keep our doors open to the young people who need us most.

From the bottom of our hearts - thank you 💙

The Bedford Swan and Thermal Spa Robin Boot's Rockomedy Colin Reid Magic Disco Stu Woburn Golf Club Towers Health & Racquets Club Copybox Document Systems Ltd Hollands Smith Cuffe & Taylor

18/02/2026

Supporting Bedfordshire Open Door ❤️

"The play's the thing"

Have you got your tickets for our March production of Hamlet? If not why not?! The cast and crew are working incredibly hard and can't wait to show audiences what they've created...get your tickets today!

https://www.theplacebedford.org.uk/shows/hamlet-2/

Tuesday 10th March-Saturday 14th March (with Matinee performance on Saturday 14th)

12/02/2026

Highly recommended ! Excellent training!

11/02/2026

🌟 It’s Children’s Mental Health Week 2026! 🌟

Started by the brilliant , this week is a reminder that every child deserves to feel heard, supported, and valued - not just today, but every day.

At Bedford Giving, we see first-hand how confidence, wellbeing and sense of belonging shape a young person’s future. When children feel safe and supported, they’re more likely to thrive - in school, in friendships, and in the choices they make for themselves.

💗 That’s why we’re championing thepink.link throughout this week. It’s a simple action with real impact:
➡️ Click the link, support local families, fuel positive mental health, and help Bedford’s young people shine.

Small actions. Big difference.
Let’s make Bedford a place where every young person feels they truly belong. ✨

07/02/2026

What a fabulous evening we had! Thank you to Greensands, Colin Reid Magic, Robin Boot's Rockomedy, Disco Stu, Miss Jones Photography, The Bedford Swan and Thermal Spa team and our fabulous guests :)

31/01/2026

Absolutely spot on!

More support, more compassion, more consideration of mental wellbeing … these are the components of a system that puts the child at the centre… less rhetoric, less focus on attendance percentages… not every child will be an a grader but if they can do school in a way that enables them to be more confident in their own individual abilities and qualities then that is a success in itself.

Put the child and their individual needs at the centre.

30/01/2026

It's just a week to go until our charity ball and we are delighted that Hollands Smith are sponsoring our raffle on the night.

First prize will be this beautiful hamper, full of everything you need to make your house a home.

Massive thanks to the team at Hollands Smith 🙏

When we were asked to donate a raffle prize for Bedfordshire Open Door Charity Ball, we wanted it to reflect what home really means to us.

So we created a ‘My home is my castle’ hamper - a bundle centred on comfort, warmth and the small things that make a house feel like home. From cosy evenings in to simple everyday treats, it’s about taking a moment to switch off and feel settled.

We’re proud to support Bedford Open Door and the vital work they do in our local community.

Wishing the lucky winner plenty of well-earned comfort – and a huge thank you to everyone supporting such a brilliant cause.

12/01/2026

Got an unwanted Christmas gift? Need to declutter after the festive season?

If you ended up with a Christmas present that isn’t quite “you,” (or even worse, have discovered a present you bought earlier in the year, squirrelled away and then forgot to wrap!), then why not pass it forward so it can be put it to good use?

We’re collecting new and unused gifts for the Bedfordshire Open Door charity fundraising raffle in February — helping support vital counselling services for young people across our community.

We would love to accept items such as unopened bottles of drink or boxes of chocolates, toiletries, gift sets, experience vouchers, gift cards - or anything else in a new and unused state that could make a great raffle prize.

Your donated gifts will help raise funds and ensure nothing goes to waste.

📍 How to donate:
Simply drop off your unwanted gifts at Bedfordshire Open Door offices at 120 Tavistock Street, Bedford or drop me a message to arrange a collection.

Let’s turn January decluttering into meaningful support for local young people.❤️